19441776 Club
Circus tent collapses in eight minutes; at least 167 dead in Hartford
Paraffin-and-gasoline-treated canvas catches on the southwest sidewall mid-show; two exits blocked by animal chutes trap thousands of women and children inside.
Thousands of women and children packed the big top on July 6, 1944, for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The tent's canvas, waterproofed with paraffin wax dissolved in gasoline, caught fire on the southwest sidewall shortly after the lion act. Flames raced through the fabric and the structure collapsed in about eight minutes, killing at least 167 people and injuring more than 700. Two exits were blocked by animal chutes, trapping much of the crowd inside…
